as in bribe
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision
the customs official let us know that he might be prepared to look the other way if an appropriate backhander was slipped into his palm
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Recent Examples of backhander
Minnesota managed just one shot on the man-advantage – a dangerous Vladimir Tarasenko backhander that Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood turned aside.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Megan Keller found the back of the net with a backhander 4:07 into overtime to secure the gold medal.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Keller retrieved the pass to herself, and one-timed a backhander underneath Canadian keeper Ann-Renée Desbiens.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Gregor tied it later in the first on a backhander over Blackwood’s shoulder at 7:21, but Nelson’s fourth goal in the last six games at 18:30 of the first period gave Colorado a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.
—Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhander
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Megan Keller found the back of the net with a backhander 4:07 into overtime to secure the gold medal.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Keller retrieved the pass to herself, and one-timed a backhander underneath Canadian keeper Ann-Renée Desbiens.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 20 Feb. 2026
Gregor tied it later in the first on a backhander over Blackwood’s shoulder at 7:21, but Nelson’s fourth goal in the last six games at 18:30 of the first period gave Colorado a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.
—Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhander
bribe
Noun
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Christopher and Joseph Ponzo — ex-Stoneham police officers — defrauded a company to obtain tens of millions of dollars of Mass Save funds through paying bribes and kickbacks to company employees.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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The maximum penalty for bribery is 15 years in prison and a fine of either $250,000 or three times the monetary value of the bribe, often whichever is greater.—
Tolu Talabi,
The Hill,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backhander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhander. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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